Leon Botstein, President of Bard College, recently participated as a keynote speaker in a virtual event hosted by the White House Executive Office. The discussion centered around the Welcome Corps on Campus, an initiative aimed at supporting refugee students in the United States. Botstein’s involvement highlights Bard College’s commitment to integrating displaced students into its educational program.
During the event, Botstein emphasized the importance of welcoming refugees into American educational institutions. He shared his personal story as a child refugee, underscoring the critical role that educational opportunities played in shaping his life. According to Botstein, “We need to open our doors, not close them,” reflecting Bard College’s philosophy towards global citizenship.
Bard College is part of the inaugural cohort of institutions participating in the Welcome Corps on Campus. This program, under the U.S. Refugee Admissions Program, allows colleges to serve as resettlement spaces for refugee students, offering them pathways to citizenship. This fall, Bard welcomed two first-year refugee students to its Annandale-on-Hudson campus and plans to expand its intake in the coming academic years.
The college’s involvement in this initiative is not new; Bard has a history of supporting refugee education. With students from Syria, Afghanistan, and other countries, the college is dedicated to fostering an inclusive community. Botstein reiterated that the integration of refugee students is not just a charitable act but a vital contribution to the institution’s cultural and educational mission.
By participating in the Welcome Corps on Campus, Bard College and Leon Botstein aim to create a sustainable model for integrating refugee students into higher education. This effort aligns with the college’s broader objective to increase the participation of refugees in higher education globally by 2030.